After a stylish breakfast at Dennehof we set off with our gourmet padkos (cheese and rocket on ciabatta rolls). We had to keep our options open as to our destination as Ricky was still not well. We would have liked to run 2 support stations - Gamkaskloof and on to Rouxpos. One too soon the other too far.
So we soldiered out and up the Swartberg Pass, at its most magnificent in the early morning light. At the top of the 1st long climb approx 15ks at Teeberg, Johan Rissik was again waiting with coffee (filter!) and rusks. Memorable.
From there the 50 odd ks into gamkaskloof aka Die Hell started with yesterday's snow still sprinkeled all over. Long grinding uphills and swooping cutbacks made for some fine riding. A quick lunch at Hell's Kitchen and the big climb out the other side, including the hour long climb up "The Ladder" or "Die LEER" (an ancient footpath to and from die hell basically straight up a near-vertical mountain side) , quite a mission with a bike slung around your back.
It had started drizzling and the temps dropped. We decided not to push for Rouxpos, our next support station, but seeked shelter from the bitter cold on a farm. The Hunluns put us up in a little cottage they rent out at the top of Seweweekspoort- turned out to be a good move as it rained all evening.
We carried on cycling in the rain the next morning, with snow falls of the prev evening visible. It cleared by mid-morning and after a farm breakfast at Rouxpos, we had a magnificent ride into Anysberg.
No comments:
Post a Comment